Phil Mickelson hits from the rough on the fifth hole during the third round of the Wells Fargo Championship. He shot a 1-over 73. / Chuck Burton, AP

by Steve DiMeglio, USA TODAY Sports

by Steve DiMeglio, USA TODAY Sports

CHARLOTTE - Phil Mickelson was exactly where he wanted to be at a place he loves in a tournament he's desperate to win.

Leading by one shot on the back in Saturday's third round of the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club, Mickelson pulled out his Phrankenwood driver for his second shot on the par-5 15th hole - and hit the ball out of bounds into the back yard of a house on the edge of the hole.

The resulting double bogey knocked him out of the lead. His troubles weren't over, however, as on his next hole, his 9-iron approach shot hit a spectator in the head, and then he left a chip shot short and made bogey.

A hole ahead of him, Nick Watney, who took over the lead when Mickelson made double at 15, hit a shank with his tee shot, winding up 89 yards short and to the right of the par-3 17th. That also resulted in a double-bogey.

In the span of 15 minutes, what looked to be a two-horse race between Mickelson and Watney turned into a Sunday stampede as 14 players are within three shots of the lead, including birthday boy Rory McIlroy.

Mickelson, who held the overnight lead by two shots, shot 73 and is tied with Watney (71) at 8-under-par 208. George McNeill (72) is one shot back. Six players are two shots behind, including Lee Westwood. And five players are three back, including McIlroy, who turned 24 Saturday and received a new bracelet, two pairs of shoes and a birthday cake from his girlfriend, tennis star Caroline Wozniacki. One of his best gifts, he said, was shooting 73 in the third round yet gaining one stroke on the leaders.

All of the players will have to contend with Mother Nature on Sunday. Tournament officials moved up tee times up, with players teeing off on both holes 1 and 10 in threesomes between 6:45 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. ET. If the expected rains do come, the ability of the greens to withstand even more water will come into question. The battered greens, which proved hazardous for many players in the third round, are nearly at their breaking point.

"It's tough to run away on this golf course," Westwood said. "I think the greens are dictating that with a pretty good bunch. Nobody's going to get streaky and shoot a 62. It will be a case of playing solid (Sunday) and giving yourself chances and taking opportunities when you can with it.

" â?¦ I don't think we want to play these greens when they're really wet. There are some out there with more mud than grass on them. So if they have more rain on them that could be hard on a couple of greens."

Coming off a birdie at 14, Mickelson, who wants to join the list of six major champions who have won this tournament in its 10-year history, looked like he was going to put some distance between him in the field at 15.

He said it was an easy shot, the second was. But the ball never faded like Mickelson wanted, and it went out of bounds.

"I probably pulled the wrong club. I hit it the second time with the driver to get it to cut. I should have done that the first time. The lie was fine to do it, and I hit 3-wood and it shot straight, which I was not expecting and it went out of bounds," Mickelson said. "But I grinded it out. I felt like this could be a final-round deal where we're getting so much rain tomorrow and Monday that we may not be able to play. So I was grinding it out there even though I didn't have my A-game coming down the stretch just to be on top of the lead or tied for the lead in case that happens."

Watney said he never had his A-game. His tee shot on 17 was an F. He was in the lead when he stood over his ball on the par-3 17th, a water-protected stretch of 190 yards. He had made birdies on four of his last 12 holes and seemed to be in control. Then he swung the club.

"I don't know what happened, to be honest," Watney said of his shank, which went nearly dead right and wound up near a cart path. "I was kind of fighting my swing all day, just trying to keep it in play, keep it in play. I hit a few shots off the heel with my driver and 3-wood off the tee, but obviously that was just terrible, a terrible result. I haven't done that for a really long time.

"I can't remember really the last time I did that in a tournament, so it was a bit unsettling. But big picture, I'm tied for the lead, and I would have taken that on Thursday morning. Probably wouldn't have liked the way that if you told me that was going to happen. Unfortunately, I can't change it now, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow."